Autosled.



M. WEIDNER.

AUTOSLED.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT 2, 1912.

- Patented an. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' In l nior! Mideast. wem'asa, oi Harm, Mmaesom hurosrnn.

S pe ciiic'ation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan; 6, 1914.

1 '\1 -:';13, FL, '5: i Application filed October 2, 1912. Serial No.723,549.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that I MICHAEL waste a citizenofthe United States, residing at Lake Henry, in the countyof Stearns andState of ,Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin ,Autosleds; and

I do hereby declare the followingtobe a full, clear, and exactdescri'ptien of themvention', such as will enable others skilled in theartto which it appertai'ns to make u es m- My invention-relates toimprovements in power propelled sleds, and to this end, it

consists ofthe novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafterdescribed and defined in the claims. p i y p Theinvention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate likeparts throughout the several views. '7 A g n Referring to the drawings,Figure l is a side elevation of the improved device, some parts beingbroken away, and some exposed parts shown in section ;,Eig. 2 is aplanview of the improved device, some parts being removed, other parts beingbroken away, and still other parts being shown in horizontal section;and 3 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in verticalsection taken on the line 00 of Fig. 1. The numeral 1 indicates, as anentirety, the body of the power propelledsled, as shown, of theautomobile type. This body 1 is supported from a front bolster 2, and arear bolster 3, by a pair of front 4 and a pair of rear springs 5. Totli'e e'nds of the front bolster 2 is rigidly secured a pair ofdepending legs 6, and to the ends of the rear bolster 3 is also rigidlysecured a pair of depending legs 7. At their lower ends, the legs 6 and7 are bifurcated and bent laterally rearward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.Between the prongs of the bifurcated ends of the legs 6 and 7 aremounted a pair of front runners 8 and a pair of rear runners 9,respectively. These runners 8 and 9 are connected to the bifurcated endsof the legs 6 and 7 for limited vertical oscillatory movements by pivotpins 10. Obviously, the rear extensions of the bifurcated ends of thelegs 6 and 7 hold the runners 8 and 9 against lateral twisting movement.

For imparting simultaneous steering movements to the runners 8 and 9,asteering post 11 is mounted on the body 1. To the upper end of thesteering post 11 is secured e est may i e sufie i connections, from thesteering post llo to the ssfi an ....W ll1 t e t wi ibj p fqa ed. f r.mpart n s mu t neo ste i movements to the runners 8 and 9 but, for h Purof t i pa e, it s e' c s aryto l u ra e h sa ,1

Wi h'nt ed 1 m i d l exrl SiYe e g ned. a y e ired ak o de and isindicated in diagram and as an entirety by, the S ecured tothe sills ofthe body 1 forward of the engine 2% sat em ee xt n d pl 25 i'ngintegrally formed bait rear edge bearing lugs 26, in which is,rotatively mounted a transversely .d ivided shaft 27. To one ofthesection s of the'shaft 27 is keyed or otherwise secured a masterbevel gea'r 28, of a difierential gear mechanism, that meshes withabevel pinion 29 keyed, or otherwise secured to the ejngine shaft 30, Aars r beerings 31 is secured to the face of the bevl gear.28.Withinthese bearings 31 journaled a pair of a xially alined bevelpinions 32, that work between and in esh wane of oppositely projectingbevel gears 33 that are keyed or therwiseeecured, one to the inner endOfeach of the two sections of the shaft 27 The -o uter ends of the shaft27 project outwar dvof of the bodyl, anchhave pivotally mounted thereona pair of downwardly and rearwardly projeeting arms 34. The upper orforward ends of these arms 34 are bifurcated and the prongs thereof arepivotally iiioiinted on the shaft 27', and the rear or lower ends ofsaid arms 34 are bent laterally and horizontally outward to form a pairof journals 35. On each journal 35 is rotatively mounted a tootheddriving wheel 36, comprising a hub 37, having rigidly secured theretoradially projecting spokes 38, which terminate at their outer ends inwedge-shaped road or ground engaging points or teeth 39. The outer endsof each set of spokes 38, just inward of their points 39, are clampedand rigidly secured between a pair of annular rings 40.

The driving wheels 36 are independently driven from the shaft 27 by apair of sprocket chains 41, which run over a pair of large sprocketwheels 42 and a pair of small sprocket wheels 43. The sprocket wheels 42are rigidly secured, one to the inner face of each driving wheel 36. Andthe small sprocket wheels 43, which are alined with said sprocketwheels42, are keyed or otherwise secured, one to each of the sections ofthe shaft 27, between the prongs of the bifurcated ends of the arms 34.A pair of springs 44 is provided for yieldingly holding the drivingwheels 36 in contact with the road or ground. The intermediate portionsof these springs 44 are coiled about the shaft 27 at points between thesills of the body 1 and the arms 34, as

shown in Fig. 2, and one of the ends of each of the said springs 44 isanchored to the interi'nediate portions of the adjacent arms 34.

For independently placing the springs 44 under a variable tension, apair of foot operated levers 45 is mounted in the foot board of thebody 1. Each lever 45 is pivotally secured to the intermediate joints ofa pair of toggle levers 46 and 47, comprising a long link and a shortlink. The free ends of the short links of the toggle levers 46 and 47are pivotally anchored to a transversely extended shaft 48, which, inturn, is secured atits ends to the sills of the body 1.

The free end of the long link of the toggle lever 46 is pivotallysecured to a normally downward and rearwardly projecting arm 49, havinga hub 50. This hub 50 is loosely journaled on a horizontal, transverselyextended rock shaft 51, journaled at its end in the sills of thebottom 1. Integrally formed on the hub 50. is a normally upwardly andrearwardly projecting arm 52, the free end of which is secured to thefree end of the adjacent spring 44. To the rock shaft 51 is rigidlyconnected an arm 53, which normally projects in the same direction asthe arm 49, and to the end of which is pivotally secured the free end ofthe long link of the toggle lever 47. Also rigidly secured to the rockshaft 51 is an arm 54,

which normally projects in the same direction as the arm 52, and issecured to the free end of the other or adjacent spring 44.

What I claim is 1. In a power propelled sled, the combination with asectional shaft journaled on said sled, differential gear mechanismconnecting the sections of said shaft, and means for driving saiddifferential gear mechanism, of a pair of arms pivotally connected tosaid shaft, toothed driving wheels journaled on said arms, sprocketwheels and sprocket chains for driving said wheels from said shaft,springs yieldingly forcing said toothed wheels into engagement with theroad, and independent foot operative means for independently varying thetension of' said springs, substantially as described.

2. In a power propelled sled, the combination with a sectional shaftmounted on said sled, differential gear mechanism connecting thesections of said shaft, and means for driving said differential gearmechanism, of a pair of rearwardly and downwardly projecting armspivotally connected at their upper ends to said shaft, toothed drivingwheels journaled on the free ends of said arms, sprocket wheelsandsprocket chains for driving said wheels from said shaft, springsyieldingly forcing said toothed driving wheels into engagement with theroad, and connections for independently varying the tension of saidspring, including inde pendent foot operative toggle levers,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL \VEIDNER.

Witnesses EDITH SIMERMAN, HARRY D. KILGORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

